All About Asheville

The Brew-Hoppers Guide to Asheville Most people aren’t aware that Asheville is the brewing capital of the Southeast. In fact, on just about any day of the year, one can select from about 50 locally brewed craft beers. More details…

What You Need to Know About Recycling Remove and discard caps and lids before you recycle plastic and glass containers! Good recycling involves capturing all the recyclables you can, preparing them properly and placing them into the correct containers. More details…

Asheville.com Helps to Make Asheville Greener Asheville has always been green. Late winter and spring rains in the mountains that embrace Asheville inevitably reawaken for another season the countless species of flowers, shrubs, and trees that have called Asheville “home” for centuries. More details…

Enjoy a Walk through Asheville History on Urban Trail Asheville’s Urban Trail, an entertaining, informative, and artistic walk through Asheville history, is 1.7-miles of architecture and memories from earlier times in this engaging mountain city.Started in 1991 by a group of dedicated volunteers who were determined to put downtown Asheville’s best foot forward, the Urban Trail has evolved into a fairly complete walking tour of Asheville’s historic and present day world. More details…

Cobblestones Spoke to Thomas Wolfe’s Soul The use of cobblestones and brick pavers fell out of favor in the U.S. in the early 1900’s due to the availability of inexpensive petroleum products. Cobblestones and brick pavers are both expensive materials to purchase and labor intensive to install. More details…

Treasured Waterfalls, Mountain Scenery the Reward of Scenic Drive through Gorge As the days get longer and the temperatures rise, many visitors to Western North Carolina find themselves drawn to any number of the region’s pristine waterfalls for the visual entertainment and cooling respite that they offer from the day’s heat. But some of these popular spots require a bit more hiking, climbing, and crawling over rocks, boulders, and trails than some folks are willing or able to do. More details…

Folk Art Center Programs Share Simplicity of Traditional Crafts The Southern Highland Craft Guild, located in the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway just east of Asheville, is a membership guild of some of the finest craftspeople in the country. Some of these guild members generously share their knowledge of crafts and Appalachian culture with the public through a series of free educational events that take place year-round at the Folk Art Center. More details…

Flood of 1916 Changed Biltmore Village and Family Lives Forever The Biltmore Village of today is as charming an area of town as anyone is likely to find. Its lovely, historically significant, old homes-turned-shops, with their characteristic pebbledash and half-timbered exteriors, are clear reminders of their beginnings as part of George W. Vanderbilt’s grand plan for the area that included his magnificent Biltmore House, the massive gardens and grounds, and the planned village at his gate that was home to many of his master craftsmen and their families. More details…

Botanical Gardens of Asheville a Natural Reflection of Southern Appalachian Mountains The Botanical Gardens of Asheville, located on a lovely ten-acre site next to the UNC-Asheville campus on Weaver Boulevard, is a haven of sorts for more than 700 plant species that are native to this diverse ecosystem we call home – the southern Appalachian Mountains. For the many people who visit or volunteer their time in these delightful gardens, it is a haven indeed, offering solitude, serenity, and a chance to reconnect with the natural world that surrounds us all. More details…

Wild Turkey Flock Finds Asheville To Its Taste; Pays Recent Visit to Historic Manor Inn Apartments Veritable traffic stoppers, and the topic of much conversation around the office, a rather large flock of wild turkeys has decided, like so many others, that Asheville is the place for them. A somewhat unlikely choice, given that wild turkeys tend to gravitate toward more rural and less populated areas in which to reside, Asheville has embraced its wayward flock. More details…

Folk Art Center a Rare Jewel on the Blue Ridge Parkway Asheville is fortunate to have a unique combination of people, businesses, activities, and interesting side roads that come together to give it a depth of spirit unlike any other city in the South. Couple this cultivated luxury with the rugged, natural beauty of the mountains, and you have something that is both comforting and inspiring to come back to again and again; the Folk Art Center is one such gem found in the Asheville area. More details…

A Hike to the Top of Mount Pisgah and Dinner at the Pisgah Inn…. a Great Combo Should you wake up some Saturday or Sunday morning, hear the weather forecast for beautiful skies, realize you have nothing on your schedule for the day, and want an invigorating outdoor activity to fill those wonderful “no-work” hours, try spending a day on the Blue Ridge Parkway hiking to the top of Mount Pisgah and follow it up with dinner at the Pisgah Inn. More details…

Mountain Biking Trails Abound in Pisgah Ranger District in Pisgah National Forest Fall in Western North Carolina is unrivalled in its beauty. The leaves on our trees gradually change from bright summer green to shades of red, purple, gold, orange, and rust, and the underbrush is filled with endless wild plants which produce brilliant pink, purple, and golden flowers. There is no better place to revel in all this beauty than a forest in the Western North Carolina mountains, and an exhilarating mountain bike ride is a perfect way to celebrate fall’s palate. More details…

Large Stands of Old Growth Forests Found in Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest A survey, coordinated by the WNC Alliance, and with the assistance of the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition and the North Carolina chapter of the Sierra Club, has documented 77, 418 acres of delineated old growth forests. This increases the previously recorded acres of old growth forests by over 400%. The two national forests total more that 1.1 million acres of public forests. More details…

Mountain Waterfalls a Beautiful Draw for the Mountains One of a number of natural beauties for outdoor adventurers and families alike, is to head to one of many area waterfalls. Hiking to the sites is a terrific way to get a little exercise, breathe some fresh mountain air, and spend some time with family and friends. In fact, this is just the type of outing of which memories are made. More details…